1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to air treatment systems for airplanes to eliminate or substantially reduce airborne contaminant and odor problems, including ozone reduction. More specifically, the present invention systems are air treatment systems for closed airplane environments having air treatment systems (also referred to as environmental conditioning systems) which include ionic oxygen generation and treatment of undesired airborne contaminants and odors with the generated ionic oxygen.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
The following United States patents are of interest in that some illustrate known airplane air treatment systems, while others illustrate treatment methods and/or ozone generation, although the present invention does not rely upon ozone generation, but instead relies upon ionic oxygen generation:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,199,387 describes an air-conditioning system in particular for aircraft wherein pressurized, moisture-containing air is conditioned for air-conditioning the cabin. The pressurized air is compressed further in two separate stages, dehumidified in a high-pressure water extraction cycle and subsequently expanded in one or two turbine stages. Depending on the design one can thereby achieve ice-free conditioned air or a high efficiency of the air-conditioning system, in particular if two turbine stages are provided and the energy gained in the particular turbine stages is utilized regeneratively, distributed over the compressor stages.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,071,418 describes a method and system for wastewater treatment which describes and is particularly suitable for manure lagoons and pits. Specifically, an ozone gas is homogeneously distributed through an upper stratum of a contained liquid thereby creating an aerobic xe2x80x9ccapxe2x80x9d, while still maintaining an anaerobic lower stratum. A perforated tube or plurality of tubes fixed within the upper stratum serves to distribute the ozone. Alternately, a buoyant vehicle propelled across the surface of the liquid may also serve to distribute the ozone and create the ozonated xe2x80x9ccapxe2x80x9d. The vehicle provides an additional benefit of crust fragmentation and prevention thereby inhibiting and eliminating fly propagation, and hygienically improving lagoon or pit operation. In either embodiment, the ability to create an aerobic and anaerobic balance within the liquid facilitates a reduction in odor, a significant improvement of organic digestion and solids control, and a reduction in pathogens sometimes found in water recycled from the containment area.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,809 describes an ionization field which is produced across the pumped air flow to a fuel combustion process to increase the content of oxygen in the stream, and the stream reactivity. This ionization field may be produced between a sharp electrode and a grid or sheet, positioned in a shielded structure like the filter housing on the engine intake. Alternatively, an ultraviolet light source may be used to ionize the oxygen in the air stream. If either form the air stream may be compressed before its ionization and then may be injected into the exhaust products of the combustion process. The ionization power may be modulated along with the demand. Thus the throttle position may be sensed to modulate the voltage multiplier levels across the electrodes straddling the air stream, in accordance with the demand.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,844 describes an air treating apparatus which is a method therefore is disclosed that can be used in spaces occupied by humans or other mammals for deodorizing the air with ozone while the humans or other mammals are present. A housing having an air inlet and an air outlet defining an air flow passageway therebetween has a fan in the inlet for drawing air through the passageway and discharging the air through the outlet. The housing contains a transformer for supplying high voltage electrical power to an ozone generator in the air passageway for enriching the air in ozone and discharging a mixture of ozone in the air at a predetermined concentration. A potentiometer controls a timer for controlling the interval over which ozone is produced in an xe2x80x9con/offxe2x80x9d manner. The time averaged concentration of ozone thereby is controlled so that exposure to ozone does not exceed established limits over time.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,622 describes in an air cycle environmental control system, a condenser removes water vapor from compressed, ambient, supply air before it is expanded in a first turbine. The chilled outlet air from the first turbine is then used as a coolant in the condenser, absorbing there the heat of vaporization of the condensed water vapor. After passing through the condenser, the warmed coolant in then expanded in a second turbine. Should the pressure of the supply air fall below predetermined levels, portions of the cycle that degrade performance or become unnecessary are bypassed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,565 describes an advanced Environmental Control System (ECS) for use in conjunction with a turbine engine to provide conditioned, pressurized air to an enclosed space such as an aircraft cabin, as well as cooling capacity for the aircraft avionics. The ECS features a dual turbine air cycle machine to minimize the amount of bleed air or power required from the turbine engine.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,406,322 describes in a heating and/or cooling system, two heated transmitting media are blended into a blended medium with adjustable temperature. The motor of a blending member is controlled pulsewise in both directions by comparison pulses from a setpoint/actual value temperature comparison. In order to provide a system which is simple to construct, which is wear-resistant and which permits a quick and accurate adjustment of the blending member, the circuit arrangement for controlling the motor contains a first pulse generator, which generates pulses of constant width commencing respectively with the end of a comparison pulse and is connected to second and third pulse generators generate pulses of width proportional to the actual value or the set-point of the temperature, respectively, which directly control the motor after comparison in a comparator. The blending member is advantageously the blend door for air supply into a motor vehicle or a mixing valve for liquid media.
Thus, notwithstanding the prior art, the present invention system is neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby.
The present invention is an air treatment system for airplanes. It includes:
(a.) an environmental conditioning system located within an airplane to provide at least one conditioning treatment selected from the group consisting of heating, cooling, and compressing air, and having ingress ductwork to remove air from a cabin of the airplane and into the environmental conditioning system and having air movement mechanism(s), such as blowers, fans or equivalent devices, contained within the environmental conditioning system to remove air from the cabin and into the environmental conditioning system via the ingress ductwork, and having at least one conditioning mechanism to provide at least one conditioning treatment selected from the group consisting of heating, cooling and compressing air, and having egress ductwork connected thereto for return of treated air into the cabin;
(b.) an ionic oxygen generator connected to either or both of the ingress ductwork and the egress ductwork. The ionic oxygen generator may be one or more, and should be of sufficient capacity to generate at least 200 ions of ionic oxygen per cubic centimeter of incoming air for removal of airborne contaminants and odor from exiting air before it is returned to the cabin.
By xe2x80x9cductworkxe2x80x9d is meant any conduit through which air is intended to flow, e.g., tubing, passageways, piping, sheet metal ducts, and equivalent conduiting arrangements. By xe2x80x9cingress ductworkxe2x80x9d is meant ductwork which is upstream from any environmental conditioning component; by xe2x80x9cegress ductworkxe2x80x9d is meant ductwork which is downstream from any environmental conditioning component. Taken together, they are intended to encompass all ductwork in a system, so that whatever component is used to determine ingress is also used to determine egress ductwork.
In some embodiments, the ingress ductwork may include an ingress channel of ductwork from an outside environment exterior of the airplane into the airplane for supplying additional oxygen to the cabin. The ingress ductwork and/or the egress ductwork may include at least one air blower connected thereto.
In some embodiments, the ionic oxygen generator is located within the egress ductwork.
In other embodiments, there is a bypass channel connected to the egress ductwork and there is a valving mechanism adapted to control the flow of air into the bypass channel to thereby control ionic oxygen flow into the air to thereby controllably treat airborne contaminants and odors in treated air before it is released to the cabin. In general, ionized oxygen also continues to be active within the cabin itself to further treat the air.
In other embodiments, the ionic oxygen generator is located within the ingress ductwork.
In yet other embodiments, there is a bypass channel connected to the ingress ductwork and there is a valving mechanism adapted to control the flow of air into the bypass channel to thereby control ionic oxygen flow into the air to thereby controllably treat airborne contaminants and odors in treated air before it is released to the cabin.
In most preferred embodiments, the present invention air treatment system for airplanes includes at least one ionic oxygen generator connected to either or both of the ingress ductwork and the egress ductwork, having at least a power generator and one or more ionization creating components selected from the group consisting of elongated cylindrical ionization tubes, flat ionization discs, and combinations thereof. As stated above, the ionic oxygen continues to be active within the cabin environment.
In some embodiments of the present invention, the air treatment system for airplanes is independent of the existing heating, air conditioning and pressurization mechanisms, and one or more units are individually installed with a blower, fan or the like, recirculating the air in selected locations on the plane, e.g., in former luggage areas which have been modified with venting. These embodiments essentially include:
(a.) an air treatment system located within an airplane, which incudes at least one air circulation mechanism to move air within the airplane past at least one ionic oxygen generator; and,
(b.) at least one ionic oxygen generator physically located within the airplane and sufficiently near the one air circulation mechanism to have air move past the ionic oxygen generator. The ionic oxygen generator is of sufficient capacity to generate at least 200 ions of ionic oxygen per cubic centimeter of incoming air for removal of airborne contaminants and odor from existing air in the airplane. The ionic oxygen generator has at least a power generator and one or more ionization creating components, e.g., one or more individual flat ionization discs, one or more elongated cylindrical ionization tubes, or combinations thereof.